We all know the importance of marketing in business- as fantastic as your idea might be, unless you get it out there to the right people you’ll never earn a profit. Marketing can get a bad name as something that’s expensive and dull, and while you will need to set some significant funds aside for promotion it most definitely doesn’t have to be boring. It’s not all affiliate marketing, blogger outreach and poring over graphs and figures. Marketing can be one of the most fun, creative and rewarding parts of your business- here are a few less thought of ideas to promote your business.
Partner with a charity
When you work with a charity, both you and the charity benefit. If you pledge to give a certain percentage of your profits to them, chances are they will help you to promote and get the word out there. Charities will have their own marketing in place already, companies like www.globalfacesdirect.com for example which assist with fundraising. So already have the means to get your name out there more and reach customers you might never have reached yourself. Customers might choose to shop with your business over your competitors on the sole fact that by doing so, they’re also supporting a charity. When it comes to business promotion, partnering up with a charity might not be the first thing that springs to mind but it can be really effective, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you’re genuinely helping a good cause in the process.
Give away free stuff
It might seem counter productive when you want to make a profit to give away things for free. However, it can be incredibly beneficial. The word ‘free’ is more powerful than any other when it comes to marketing, and can generate a lot of hype around your business. How about hosting a giveaway on social media with a fantastic prize- it could be anything from a gift card to your store to a car to a holiday depending on your budget. Allow people to gain entries by following you on social media and entering their email address, this helps you to build a following and increases the chances that future marketing materials will be seen by more people. It also helps your company to look established and trustworthy when you have a good following, making people more likely to place an order with you if they’re on the fence. Other ways to give away free stuff is by have marketing merch created- mugs, pens, keyrings and more can be shipped with orders or given away at events and trade shows. It’s more marketing and a reminder of your business whenever the person uses the item.
Host an event
Speaking of events, this is another great way to promote your business. Throw a family fun day and get people down to your store. Offer things like face painting and a bouncy castle for the kids, invite food vendors to come along and sell their food and have lots of competitions and games going on. While people are down, you can hand out business cards and flyers and chat about your new products. Customers can look around your store and its generally a way to get people in the door and learning about your company.
